The Dungeon Bats
by CymorilofMelnibone
Summary: Severus Snape finally achieves his long desired position as DADA professor, while Dumbledore, of course, hires a new Potions professor. Besides being dangerous for the students and staff, Laenaya intrigues Luna and is a downright nuisance to Severus.
1. Dessert Before Dinner

_CHAPTER 1_

_Dessert Before Dinner_

''_I'm __Gentleman Death__ in silk and lace, come to put out the candles…'' Lestat de Lioncourt _

___

* * *

_

The Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle was buzzing with students all bustling about, greeting and giving each other the latest updates. Excitement about once again being united but not about starting a new school year filled the air.  
Aside from the excitement, there was the smell of food in the air, not just your average smell, but the kind of smell that food gives off when you're starving and your mouth begins to water, the smell of your favourite food and you know it's your favourite, even though you don't know what it is exactly.

Most of the Griffyndors were seated at their table already, sniffing the air, anxiously awaiting for their plates to be filled, when Luna Lovegood left the Ravenclaw table to join Harry Potter and the rest of her Griffyndor friends.

"May I sit for a while?" she sat down without waiting for an answer, bringing the latest edition of the 'Quibbler' with her.

'Anything interesting?' Harry asked, to Ron's dismay, pointing at the 'Quibbler'.

"Why yes of course!" she replied excitedly only to immediately close her mouth again, not say anything else and merely stare off into the distance.

Ron raised an eyebrow.  
"Aren't you going to tell us about the search for some Crumpet Horned Snorecake?" he was particularly susceptible to the temptation of food.

"Crumple-Horned Snorkack, and no. I have a headache, I think I feel a Wrackspurt somewhere" she rubbed her forehead in an attempt to relieve the hazy feeling that began to fill her neurons.

* * *

Laenaya Darkstrom entered the gigantic hall and began her slow procession towards the staff table, taking everything in around her.  
She was aware of the smell that so easily excited the students, but unlike to them, to her it was merely a pungent smell.  
Though it caused a feeling of nostalgia for her, it was nothing like the nostalgia the students felt when they smelt it; for while theirs was a nostalgia that made them feel at home and warm inside, hers was a nostalgia that reminded her of a distant past that she simply could not recall, memories slowly decaying in her mind.

She tried to look at each student that she passed and remember their faces, imagining how their personalities would be and tried to envision teaching them and caring about them.  
_'This will definitely not be easy…'_ she thought as the realization of the magnitude of the task ahead crept up on her.

One might wonder, what magnitude of a task? Teaching students is not all that difficult, though possibly annoying, it could hardly be described as insurmountable, right?  
Well, to Laenaya the task was more than insurmountable, it was as bad as facing a Boggart for the first time, and a Boggart which smelled the way that the Great Hall currently smelled at that.

She stopped and looked around _'at least they're magical'_ some of them looked nice enough, although that was never the issue.

Before continuing, she looked at Harry Potter and told herself that it could not be so bad if the wizard who'd brought about Voldemort's downfall was there. An achievement so grand that not even the most powerful of races had achieved it, but Harry Potter had. If all else failed she could at least have some fun with him.

"Over here dear."  
At the elevated staff table she looked up and saw that an older looking woman, who was smiling warmly and wearing elegant robes and a pointed hat was gesturing for Laenaya to sit in the unoccupied chair beside her.

Severus Snape was seated at the staff table in the Great Hall waiting for the insufferably boring welcoming ceremony to start, which has only been the same since he first came to Hogwarts and probably before that as well.  
He was not looking forward to another year around Potter and the other dunderheads. The only one of the lot who displayed any potential was Granger, and she was simply irritating by nature.  
He shifted in his seat when he abruptly felt a chill. Knowing where it was coming from, his gaze flowed over the staff table and over the student's heads to the entrance of the Great Hall.  
_'Well at least this should prove to be interesting'_ his thoughts whispered to himself while he watched the newcomer enter hesitantly.

She had a strong aura that, full of enchantment and energy appeared to emanate from her towards the entire vicinity, although none of the students seemed to notice she was there. Not that that was surprising, in fact it's a common attribute.

He rolled his eyes; the less experienced teachers were probably falling for the oh so obvious trick right now.

She was wearing long deep black robes, which apparently flowed as she moved, much like his own. It gave him the impression of liquid shadows.  
As she stopped for a moment, he caught a glimpse of the clothes concealed under her robes.

_'Is that a corset?'_ he smiled inwardly _'how stereotypical'_

She was moving now again and as she came closer Snape noticed that her body was rather corpulent, one would not consider her to be particularly attractive. Then he looked at her face. Was she beautiful? '_Or part of the trap. The predatory nature I suppose.'_ he shifted again in his seat.

She had long hair that fell, perfectly straight, down her back, although Snape would only notice this later, when he'd see her from behind; it was just a detail that, for some reason, was so striking about her.  
She had her fringe cut in such a way that Snape believed was muggle inspired, she would later describe this as pin-up style; and her whole hair was dark red and yet fiery, _'dyed'_ he suspected.

* * *

"Minerva McGonagall" the gentle woman said as Laenaya sat down.

"Laenaya Darkstrom, it is an honour to meet you professor" she exchanged introductions with the rest of the staff. Flinching slightly due to a tinge of shame, she realized that 'honour' was perhaps a strong word for her to have used. _'What is wrong with me? Get over it.'_  
She moved to the middle of the staff table and greeted Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, whom she already knew.

"Ah Severus Snape! I would never have imagined to see you here." Laenaya looked at the man seated to her left, she remembered him, and they had met before. How interesting that he would end up being a teacher at Hogwarts.

"Have we met before?" his voice was silky and deep.

Laenaya noted his use of Occlumency, which he had improved since the last time they met, and was not surprised at the fact that his facial attempt to express puzzlement consisted of the slight raising of an eyebrow.  
_'sexy._' she remarked with amusement. Much more so than she remembered him being.

"Indeed, a few years ago" she replied and just as he was going to inquire further, for he could not remember, Albus Dumbledore stood up to begin his Welcoming Speech.

After the Sorting Hat had sorted all the new students into their houses and the noise died down, Dumbledore got up again.

"Welcome new students, I trust you are going to enjoy your stay here at Hogwarts. I am confident that you will study hard in order to become great Wizards and Witches! I am looking forward to a new school year and of course the traditional festivities such as the upcoming Halloween" Several people clapped and cheered at this.

"Also, I am happy to announce that professor Severus Snape is taking up the Defense against the Dark Arts position and I would like to welcome professor Laenaya Darkstrom, also Potions Mistress who will be taking up the Potions position"

Some students clapped out of respect for their new professor but the majority of students merely moaned at the fact that Snape would now be torturing them above the earth; he was probably scarier in daylight.

"Bugger! I thought he was going to announce that Snape was leaving!" someone exclaimed fearlessly.

"Ron, please don't get a detention before your first day! Besides, you never know if he'll be nicer to us now that he has the job he wanted." Hermione lightly hit Ron on the arm, to which he simply replied,  
"Oh right," he snorted "now the bat is coming out of his caves, to spread joy amongst the living!"

Harry said nothing to this, for although he knew that Snape had played a colossal role, probably the biggest, in Voldemort's downfall even if he would still torture him at school.

Laenaya saw the students' reactions and wondered, if the students already thought Snape was a bat, what would they think of her? Of course she didn't have to stay here forever but Dumbledore had made her promise that if she accepted the job and began a year at Hogwarts, she would have to see that year through.  
One year to her was usually like the blink of an eye but it still seemed near impossible, at least at this moment. How was she going to make it through having to deal with petty human problems all year, without once being able to…

"Professor Darkstrom, if I am not mistaken, you are as much of a fan of the good things in life as I am so I have taken the liberty to inform the house-elves to keep your favourite in stock." Dumbledore was smiling at her, his eyes twinkling behind his half moon spectacles. He was obviously delighted that there was someone to share his particular secret pleasure, although it really was no secret that he liked sweets. He ignored the fact that her sweets were slightly different to his.

She turned her head and saw that in front of her, a bowl full of cherry coloured lollipops had appeared and her mood lifted instantly.  
"Why thank you professor! How thoughtful!" perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible after all, if she had Dumbledore to keep her in check and keep her away from temptation. She never considered the fact that she wouldn't be alone.

At her side Severus Snape rolled his eyes and smirked in his famous style. _'Lovely,'_ he thought _'Dessert before Dinner.'_


	2. Fangtasia

**AN: Okay seriously, I am getting more and more infuriated with the fact that I cannot even make simple paragraphs in my story. I apologise to everyone, I know it's not nice to read a story that is in one lump but they seem to think that paragraphing is pointless. **

_CHAPTER 2  
Fangtasia_

The Dungeons of Hogwarts Castle was, as known to all, a dark and dismal area, feared and if possible, avoided by all students.

To Severus Snape, it was his home. Unlike his official place of residence, Spinner's End, the Dungeons were comforting and welcoming.  
After changing sides and coming to teach Potions at Hogwarts, the Dungeons had been for him, an empty place to which he could retreat every day, gather his strength and to some degree let his guard down; although this was, of course, never fully possible.

To let his guard down while with others was obviously unthinkable, he would never let anyone near him and if he did, he would be in control at all times and decide what they would or would not see, as was the case with the other teachers. Dumbledore was the only one with near full access, but even so, it was only near full.

But even when the day would end and he would finally be able to get away from the irritating insects that were the students, to be in the company of only himself, he could not let his guard down. To do so completely would have meant to die instantly as he could never be certain what sources Voldemort had, and when he was watchingbecause although Severus Snape was one of the most if not the most skilled Occlumens, the Dark Arts would always provide a way of looking into someone's mind and heart if unguarded that did not involve Legilimency. He had pursued this lifestyle and his double espionage for 15 years.

Now that Voldemort was gone and Snape had, in his 16th year at Hogwarts, finally reached the point at which he could begin to think about being able to actually enjoy his life, a concept previously unknown to him, and teach Defense against the Dark Arts, his dream even before he changed sides, he was being forced to leave his Dungeon, his Home.

Of course he wanted to start a new life, move on and away from the horrors of the past; and though one would have thought it not such a big deal, being able to retreat to his Dungeons and have a taste of what it was like to actually breathe, to read books, to reflect, that was what he was looking forward to.

He understood why it was necessary for him to leave his quarters and office in the Dungeons now that he was going to be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts and Laenaya was going to be teaching Potions in his stead, but he was still angry.

He couldn't understand why Dumbledore had chosen Darkstrom to teach Potions, there were countless others who would have been just fine for the job, Slughorn for instance. Granted, her skills were incomparable but frankly, for someone like her, it would have been just embarrassing if her magic were anything less than extraordinary, and it probably wasn't even all that extraordinary.

Part of him wanted to barge into Dumbledore's office and reprimand him severely for his pointless decision and then drive a stake right through Darkstrom's annoying heart. But of course, although he knew that Dumbledore was not Voldemort, years of restraint and discipline had branded him with an automatic defense mechanism resulting in the idea that that sort of reckless behaviour would quickly lead to instant suffering or even death.

What else could he do to get her away?

He didn't want to be bitter but in his mind, being bitter was the only way to protect himself, even though he hated the idea.

He thought about how he treated Harry Potter, all because of a past and silly teenage feud with the boy's father. It was ridiculous! But even now, after Snape and Harry had fought side by side and Snape had done everything to protect him, he saw that it was pointless to bear grudges yet he couldn't make himself treat him much better. He could not let the boy see that he had wronged him.

_'All these contradictions…'_ he wanted to be kinder and not be bitter, after all, that was what made Tom Riddle become the Dark Lord; but at the same time, Severus did not want to show emotion, he didn't want friends and the burden that came with them.

Then it occurred to him. He was the Defense against the Dark Arts Professor and therefore he had to teach the students how to spot threats and how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, and this clearly was a Dark Arts matter.  
He wouldn't have to make Darkstrom leave, the students would. What parent would want someone like her around their children?

"Professor Snape!" Laenaya was looking at him, her bright green eyes flashing with mild annoyance.  
Snape was aware that he had been standing there for several minutes reflecting and hadn't been responding to Laenaya, and he wasn't in a hurry to either. It gave him satisfaction to know that she thought he was ignoring her.

"I do realise that I am, in a way, inappropriately stealing your home from you but I do hope that does not mean that I am going to have to forcefully extract the keys from your covetous grip!" She was smiling now but Snape could not tell whether she was being serious or not.

"Do not flatter yourself Miss Darkstrom" he replied venomously.

Laenaya could barely believe what he just said and laughed in a genuinely heartfelt way. Her laugh was high pitched and yet deep, to someone who would have fleetingly heard and later asked what it was, they would have replied that the sound had come from a recording of the same voice several times, where every voice was in a different pitch, placed in a dark cave so as to echo ominously.

If Snape had not been Severus Snape and had therefore not had impeccable self-control and less experience, he would have shuddered.

"Come now Severus, you know as well as I do that if I could I would gladly trade with you! I would love to live in the upper part of the Castle, but you know that I just cannot." the empathy in her eyes made Snape want to regurgitate.

'_Trade? It belongs to me anyway! Whether I am here or not!' _he sighed.

"It's '_Professor_ Snape'." He shoved the keys to his quarters, office and classroom into her hands in the most hostile way he could without being violent. "I trust that although you possess certain limitations, Miss Darkstrom, you will not be so limited that I will have to take you by the hand and guide you through the Dungeons like a child, as Professor Dumbledore seems to think I should."

'_Unpleasant git!' _

Now she was beginning to get really irritated. She really didn't want to start her off her first night at Hogwarts in such a way.

She had always had problems getting along with humans and understanding them, but this time she really was trying. She couldn't understand why Snape was trying to make it so hard for her. Especially because, besides occupying his space, she had never done anything to him. Not that she knew of anyway.

She was trying to change her life and if she became aggressive now, she would not be able to control herself and the anger would resurface, things would go back to the way they were before or become even worse.  
She made the initiative and then she made a promise to Dumbledore, she didn't want to jeopardize that now. After all, whether she knew it or not, she had seen and experienced so many things that others could never hope to experience or if they did they wouldn't be able to take it.  
Just a little bit of self-control and the results could be rewarding right?  
She decided that, although she couldn't fight Snape or hurt him, arguing would do no harm. _  
_

"Oh I shall insist on calling you Severus, after all, you have taken the liberty to call me '_Miss_ Darkstrom' as if I were one of your students, when it is clear, despite my appearance, that I am several years your senior!" that was an understatement.

"And no, I do not need you to guide me through these halls, which you in your deplorable state, insist on calling 'Dungeons'. I assure you, I have seen and even lived in places that surpass your _limited _and _petty _concept of a dungeon!" Even though she hadn't raised her voice, Laenaya couldn't help but wonder if she was being just a little bit childish.

As if attempting to confirm that she _was_ being childish Snape retaliated with a snort.

"Impressive Miss Darkstrom. Perhaps your arrogance qualifies you to become a member of Potter's gang. You should apply." He sneered at her.

"Well at least I can make decisions! I've always known which side I was on and I always knew how pathetic Voldemort was; and didn't join him because I was a sad little angsty teenager."

Laenaya instantly regretted having said this, not because it was hurtful but because she realised that she was on probation and saying this would not help her. What she regretted the most though, was the fact that what she had said was, partially, a lie.

"Thank you for that _Miss _Darkstrom." He looked at her mouth and the pointy little fangs which she didn't seem to notice were no longer retracted "you have shown that you cannot control your urges." He began to walk away.

She gasped and covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry Professor, it was an accident! I clearly need some time to adapt!" Snape was ignoring her and continued to walk away "Please wait Professor I'm sorry!" Snape was completely gone now, leaving Laenaya alone and full of regret.

He made his way up to the main part of the castle toward his new dwelling, the image of what had just occurred still fresh in his mind.

He was debating whether it would be advantageous to him or not to report Laenaya's slip to Dumbledore when he suddenly remembered where he had met her before.


	3. Nuit Macabre

**A/N: I have to apologise to everyone, I changed the rating of this story to M because I felt like a mature rating would give me a lot more freedom to write about macabre situations (as the one that is about to follow) which, ultimately, seem much more befitting of this story and how I want it to be.  
I'm sorry if you liked the previous chapters but don't want mature content!  
Alternatively, if you don't like the rating but want to know what happens, I will attempt to warn you of the content in the A/N of each chapter.  
If you don't like explicit situations, skip this chapter**!

* * *

_CHAPTER 3  
Nuit Macabre_

_-FLASHBACK-  
_  
The Moon was in a crescent, but low and gigantic, and bulging red. It resembled blood stained fangs, as if to warn the world about Lord Voldemort and his twisted plans. Below the ghastly orb was Malfoy Manor, looking as ominous as the Death Eaters that were currently gathering inside it; which only added to the dismal atmosphere.

Laenaya and the two hooded lieutenants landed close to Malfoy Manor and were walking towards the almost visible path outside that lead to the entrance.  
She stopped briefly to glance at her companions, reminding them not to attack any Death Eaters no matter how much they would be provoked.

Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape were kneeling at the Dark Lord's throne, heads bowed, Lucius ecstatic in, what he thought was a great honour, being chosen to host the Death Eater gatherings, and Severus already harbouring fierce emotions of guilt and regret that crept up from his stomach to his brain.

Everything that Severus had done in his life, he had to excel in, it was a matter of honour, and that included excelling in being a Death Eater.  
He had completed all his missions and behaved in the way, which was expected of him, only to suddenly find that it did not give him as much satisfaction as he was previously certain it would.  
The fear in his heart was already heavy from the gravity of his actions.

At first he thought that the Dark Lord's cause was great and that it would be a perfect opportunity to freely pass judgement on all that had hurt or merely annoyed him, but now…  
Despite all of these feelings, it would take him a little over a year to gather his courage and ask Dumbledore for retribution under the pretense of becoming a spy.

"Lucius, Severus, I am granting you two the honour of welcoming our visitors and escorting them to me, in view of your excellent performance recently." The Dark Lord's warped tongue slithered in and out of his mouth "However, know this, I will not tolerate any mistakes, if they attempt to kill you, I will not even flinch." He narrowed his warped slit-eyes at the two men kneeling in front of him.

"We will not disappoint you my Lord!" Lucius could barely contain the pleasure in his voice.

"Never my Lord", Severus did not look up at him.

"You may go."

Both men stood up gracefully and almost in unison. Cloaks swaying, they exited the room without turning their backs to the Dark Lord.

Now in the hall, Severus and Lucius were brimming with anticipation. This would be their first encounter with this kind of Vampires.

"After tonight, the Dark Army will be unstoppable Severus!" Lucius' eyes were glowing with playful malice.

"_If_-" Severus smirked, taking particular care to put emphasis in the word "they join us."

"Come now, how could they not? The Dark Lord's power is growing so rapidly that he will be near invincible! They could never refuse such an offer. The Vampires have been waiting for this for thousands of years."

"Vampires, Lucius, are unpredictable creatures. They are beyond the Dark Arts. They relish the fear and hate that other beings direct at them. Some of them are of course, highly powerful. However, many of them only seem so mighty simply because most do not understand them, it is the way they gain power."

"Well, you'll get along perfectly then!" Lucius joked.

"Actually, most Elder Vampires are sophisticated beings. Although I obviously possess the intelligence and skills that you lack, it seems that, for once, your Pretty Boy attitude will benefit us both."

Lucius laughed. "Why thank you Severus!"

* * *

Laenaya and the lieutenants reached the door and before they knew it, it slowly opened. They had been waiting.

A tall man with long blonde hair and noble posture stood in the doorway. Even without reading his mind, it was obvious that he was of aristocratic descent. Laenaya quickly took a liking to him and his elegance.  
After nodding towards the ever so silent lieutenants, he took Laenaya's hand in his gloved one and kissed the dorsal side.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Elder." As he said this, Laenaya felt a slight flame flicker in her nether regions.

"Lucius Malfoy, what a pleasure." Her translucent green eyes pierced him.

Behind him, Severus Snape pictured rolling his eyes, too cautious to attempt it in reality.  
Laenaya instantly shifted her gaze towards him as he thought this and smirked at him. Where he not Severus Snape, he would have been startled. He simply looked back at her and bowed, taking great care to make it low enough, taking a mental note to improve on his Occlumency skills.

Lucius, noticing this but not knowing what had happened, for he could not read minds, forced a chuckle and lightly nudged Severus, who responded by introducing himself.  
"Severus Snape Elder, it is an honour to meet you."

"I'm sure it is." Laenaya replied, unimpressed.

He was attractive, with his long slightly dishevelled hair and polished shoes.  
Perhaps it was his youth, which made him seem slightly coarse, for she detected that he had a clever air and was ostentatious in his own reserved way.

However, he could not compete with Lucius and his highborn air.

" I must remember to compliment Lord Voldemort for his excellent taste." Laenaya was looking at Lucius' neck now. "Although I would prefer to stand here a little longer with you, I'm sure your master is waiting. "

Lucius, flattered and honoured by her compliment regretfully agreed.  
"Perhaps my Lady, we will, in future, have more opportunity to enjoy one another's company," he knew it was risky to have made such a suggestion, but he kept his composure and held out his arm for her to hook hers into it. She was clearly attracted towards his nobility so he figured that she would appreciate the simple yet respectful gesture of leading her through his house, arm in arm, as the aristocracy often did.

She laughed her dark laugh, obviously delighted. Lucius breathed deeply in relief. She took his arm while Severus and Laenaya's lieutenants silently followed as they made their way through the house, passing a frowning Narcissa who did not even introduce herself to Laenaya, towards the Dark Lord.

"Welcome General!" Voldemort's attempt at displaying respect was not a very good one; it sounded like he was hissing at her.

"Thank you Lord Voldemort" the lieutenants at her sides kneeled in front of Voldemort and remained that way.

The fact that he had called Laenaya 'General' showed her that he was mainly interested in military strength. She smirked at the thought.

They exchanged pointless small talk, human foreplay, as Laenaya liked to call it, just another form of procrastination; until Voldemort finally decided to get to the point.  
His eagerness was apparent.

"I have a gift for you" Nagini slithered and hissed around Voldemort's throne as he gestured for his Death Eaters to bring in her present.

Two Death Eaters, who would later be known by Harry Potter to be the fathers of his classmates Crabbe and Goyle, emerged from a room in the corner bringing with them, something that was meant to show Laenaya how humbled Voldemort was by her and the Lieutenants' presence.

Crabbe held a thick heavy chain, which was attached to a collar around a young girl's neck, while Goyle was unmercifully kicking her towards Laenaya.

The girl, a Muggle, was completely naked, save for the collar around her neck, her pale blonde hair stuck to her face as tears streamed down it.  
She was dirty and bruised and was sobbing, sensing the horror about to await her.

She had been so badly hurt that she could not get up fast enough, which was why Goyle was kicking her. She wasn't even crawling fast enough.

One of the Lieutenants made to get up but Laenaya quickly shoved him back down.  
Voldemort seemed to know that it was Vampire custom to give gifts, humans, to each other, but he had failed to note that it was considered a grave offence to give such a damaged gift, especially to someone of elevated rank and status.

It was customary, to give humans that were exceptional in some way, whether in beauty or in ability, and they were often trained beforehand, to suppress their hysterical cries while being ravished. It was an art form to the Children of the Night.

Vampires of great importance, were used to receiving beautiful young witches, dressed in expensive clothes and resisting only very slightly, although Laenaya particularly enjoyed at least a little bit of resistance.  
But what Voldemort had just done was simply outrageous. If she had not been instructed otherwise, she would have killed him on the spot. Politics.

'_Lucius Malfoy would have made a much more adequate gift…' _

The Lieutenants could barely control their anger at this massive error but Laenaya tried her best to quickly compose herself.

"Thank you my Lord." she smiled and nodded her head.

Although she was very reluctant, it was customary and considered respectful to partake of the gift upon reception, fresh goods as it were, unless the gift was intended as a pet, but this girl clearly was not, so she grabbed the chain and pulled the girl towards her, dragging her along on the floor.

Usually, the vampire receiving the gift would play with the victim for a while, the longer the 'foreplay' the more honoured the giver of the gift would be because it showed that his choice of human was well made.  
Despite her disgust, Laenaya decided that it would not be wise to test whether Voldemort knew this or not.

She grabbed the girl's face, gently but firmly. If she had not been so dirty and abused, she would be pretty. It disgusted Laenaya to think that the Death Eaters had probably raped her beforehand.

"What is your name child?" She asked her, looking down at her face.

The girl was sobbing uncontrollably, seeing Laenaya's fangs had apparently increased her despair.

"Stop crying." Laenayas voice was quiet but harsh and the girl ceased immediately, seemingly entranced.

"That's better. Now let's try again. What is your name?"

"J-Jenny" she sniffed loudly.

Laenaya smirked, what a distasteful gift indeed.

"Get up."

The girl slowly started to lift herself off the ground, knees shaking and eyes watery. She could not control her movements, yet here she was standing up.

Laenaya grabbed the girl's left breast in a swift and silent movement, and after squeezing it tightly for a moment, used it to pull the girl closer.

The girl squealed in pain, she was badly hurt, but even worse she was confused. Why was this thing touching her like that? Despite being a Muggle, she knew from the moment she saw them that Laenaya and her companions were not human, especially after all she'd seen the Death Eaters do. Had she not gone through enough already? She was certain she was going to die, but even so, despite all the pain; it felt so good being there. She couldn't help but want this creature that was touching her so inappropriately to do more.  
She couldn't understand what was happening and wished with all her might to be taken home.

Laenaya lightly stroked the girl and after taking in the scent of her neck, she kissed her. A moment passed and she lowered her head before sinking her fangs into her victim's breast. She delighted at hearing the sound of the girl's bewildered and embarrassed moans. A sign of mixed despair and pleasure.

Behind Laenaya, where the Death Eaters were standing, Lucius watched in obvious excitement. This being which was openly giving this macabre erotic display had flirted with him less than an hour ago. How could Severus have any doubts about any of this? It was all so wonderful! He prayed to be able to meet her again soon.

Severus' feelings of arousal conflicted with his feelings of dread and disgust.  
He didn't feel pity for the girl, no he was too bitter for that. But the very fact that this was happening at all and that he was part of a group that condoned such activity signified that the chaos growing in the world was much more powerful than he had previously thought.  
Of course he had done things that were just as bad as what was happening in front of him but this was like a fresh view of reality.

He had known that it was offensive for Vampires to be given plain humans and was slightly shocked when he saw Crabbe and Goyle emerging with this girl. Why did the Dark Lord not know about that? The minute that thought occurred to him, he answered his question. Lord Voldemort knew, he was the Dark Lord after all. He was putting his own life on the line to show the Vampires who he thought would be in control should they join forces.

The fact that General Darkstrom had pretended that this was a perfect present, meant that she was probably going to accept Voldemort's offer after all…

Sighing, Laenaya decided to end it. She turned the girl around, hand still on her breast, which she was now lightly massaging. The blood from the puncture wounds was slowly forming a small pool in Laenaya's hand.  
She brushed the victim's hair aside and after lightly stroking her neck she bit into it with the force from her jaw.

Jenny could no longer stand and slowly fell to the ground, almost fully drained of her blood.  
Laenaya licked her lips and after subtly pressing her hand on the girl's forehead, and casting a spell to liberate her soul, she passed the almost dead girl to her lieutenants, who drained the rest of her blood with vigour.

"Now let us talk business, I trust you have good news for me?" Voldemort sniggered in the darkness of his throne. He was pleased with his mini-triumph.

Laenaya stepped forward.

"Lord Voldemort, I thank you for the _honourable_ gift, but I am afraid that I do not bear good news."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed and the tension in the room instantly rose.

"I thank you for your generous offer to give us ultimate freedom in return for our military strength as well counsel in the Dark Arts and our support in other minor matters. However, and I have taken the time to personally come to your audience chamber and bear this message, in the name of all Vampires, I must respectfully decline your offer."

The Death Eaters all seemed to take a step back.

Voldemort, though obviously angered, did not interrupt her. He gestured towards a near Death Eater who then levitated Jenny's corpse, which had been lying in front of the Lieutenants for the past few seconds, to the far corner of the room. No one even flinched when her body fell to the ground with a loud thumping noise.

"It appears that, as of tomorrow when it will be publicly announced, the Ministry of Magic will officially recognize Vampires as Beings, giving us the same rights as Wizards and other Magical or even Non-Magical Beings. For this reason, we do not deem it necessary to risk our newly gained status for a cause that does not concern us."

"You have accepted the same rights! It does concern you!" Lord Voldemort did not try to hide his contempt.

"I humbly apologize my Lord, we Vampires have merely been classed as Magical Beings with rights and not as Humans. We drink blood, be it Wizard or Muggle. We do not distinguish."

Voldemort was now fuming inside; the heat and tension in the room could no longer be denied or controlled.

"Despite my best efforts to accommodate you, do not forget that I permitted you to enter these Headquarters armed, you deny me? I have offered you a powerful allegiance, an opportunity of a lifetime!" Voldemort was standing up now.

Severus felt the dread in his stomach grow; surely the Dark Lord would not attempt to fight the General?  
Even in the slim chance that Voldemort would defeat her with the help of the Death Eaters, they could not possibly kill a General and _two_ Lieutenants! Killing her would cause a war. They could not win a war against the Vampires, especially now that they were on good terms with the Wizarding world.

"With all due respect sir, a lifetime to you is to us but the blink of an eye. We do not distinguish between Humans, Muggle, Wizard or Squib, yet you plan to eradicate all but Wizard, meaning less sources for us." She casually rested her arm on the hilt of her sword. "Blood is blood. Your _request_ has been declined."

She turned around and the Lieutenants got up, they began to leave.

"Fools!" Voldemort shouted and got up "They will never allow you to drink their blood!"

Laenaya turned to face him. She took a cherry coloured lollipop out of her pocket and after unwrapping it, put it in her mouth. "We do not need to drink _their_ blood. Goodbye Lord Voldemort."

That was too much; Voldemort could not stand being so humiliated in front of his followers, he pointed his wand at her.

"My Lord," Lucius emerged from the circle of Death Eaters "perhaps it would be wise t-" he flew in to the wall after being hit by a Cruciatus Curse. He would never question his Master's actions again.

Voldemort threw a Fiendfyre curse at the Vampires and watched as the fiendish fire transformed into a giant snake.

"You will not win this battle. Stop now!" One of the Lieutenants finally spoke.

The fiery snake began to advance but the door slammed open and a howling wind began to stir.

"Apprehend them!" Voldemort shouted at the Death Eaters who reluctantly sprinted towards the Vampires. Mist was now gathering and the three walked into the hall. They weren't even running.

The windows in the hall flew open and the three Vampires jumped, and began to fly away. Although Severus Snape would one day acquire the ability to fly without a broom, he did not yet possess this skill and neither did any of the other Death Eaters. Lord Voldemort, who did possess this skill, knew better than to chase them alone and come back empty handed.

Enraged beyond control, Voldemort fired the Cruciatus Curse on Severus and levitated him next to a writhing Lucius.

"You two have disappointed me!" he bellowed. "I instructed you to do a simple thing which you have failed to do!"

The other Death Eaters sighed in relief at not being punished, which of course Voldemort sensed. He sent the fiery snake, which was still present, towards them burning a few in the process.

The flames died down and Voldemort angrily removed the Cruciatus Curse from Lucius and Severus.

This would be forever known among Death Eaters as the night in which the Vampires almost joined the Dark Army but declined because of Snape and Malfoy's miserable performance.  
Although it was obvious, only very few would have the courage to admit that their Dark Lord only pretended it was due to their failure to impress the Vampires, to hide his own shame, and that Severus and Lucius had done nothing wrong.

_-END FLASHBACK-_


	4. Dogeza

**_CHAPTER 4_**

How could he have forgotten who she was?  
Well, he hadn't forgotten the events or those involved, he could never forget; but he had not connected Laenaya Darkstrom the new Potions Professor who happened to be a Vampire, with General Darkstrom. She seemed so different now.

What he had witnessed her do, was not something he would have associated with how she was now.

She had been a vicious creature who drained a helpless victim of their blood and then tossed them aside like rotten fruit, but now, she was simply a Being teaching at Hogwarts, as some had suspected that Filius Flitwick was part Goblin, Laenaya was a Vampire, and in addition to being as annoying as Flitwick, she was a nuisance to Snape, not so different from Remus Lupin.

'_How could Dumbledore let her teach here?' _even before finishing this thought he guessed the answer.  
She was, ultimately, in the same position as he was. Dumbledore was giving her a chance to redeem herself. His anger subsided for a moment in empathy for her, but then the memory of her actions flooded back into his brain along with his anger. How could one know if she even wanted to redeem herself?

Just until a few minutes ago she had been to him no more than a squatter whom he wanted to be rid of so that he could go back to his home but now he felt contempt for her.

Every time Voldemort tortured him, it was like hell, and Laenaya had been the cause for one of those times. It was infuriating.

He was now even more determined to be rid of her, it could not be so difficult. After all, she did pose a serious threat to the students, he had seen what she was not afraid to do.  
In addition to that, she had let her fangs protrude at him only because of a pathetic little argument, she was easy to anger.  
Vampires have the ability to retract their fangs, and all because of a little disagreement, she could not control them.

Even though Vampires have been officially classed as Beings with rights for many years, Snape knew that most Wizards still had prejudices concerning Vampires.

He recalled an article by Rita Skeeter in which she stated that the Ministry of Magic should be "stomping out Vampires" rather than "quibbling about cauldron thickness."

"Severus, still up and about?" Dumbledore was coming up the hallway, proudly wearing a nightcap stylishly adorned with little stars and moons.

"Just making sure that all the students are safely tucked into their beds, as new threats have recently arisen at Hogwarts."

Dumbledore sighed; he sensed what this was about. "Severus you absolutely must come and try some Fizzing Whizbees, I know you'll adore them."

"Oh joy…"

Now in Dumbledore's Office, Snape told him everything that happened at Malfoy Manor and about Laenaya's fangs.

"Severus, I understand that you feel this way about Professor Darkstrom, but there is no need to take such rash actions. She has not yet taught a single lesson, I would like to think she deserves a chance. I'm sure she didn't mean to have that unfortunate accident."  
Dumbledore was smiling reassuringly over his desk at Snape.

"I am well aware that it was unintentional. However, should this persist, action will have to be taken. She is not to be trusted."

"One could have said the same of you Severus, but I did not, and so you are here and have proven that you were to be trusted. I am simply asking that you give her time, and the benefit of the doubt.  
Now, you haven't had a single Fizzing Whizbee, at least take one of these, they're excellent. "

Snape rolled his eyes and taking a Lemon Sherbet, left the Headmaster's Office, cloak undulating behind him.

* * *

Laenaya was lying in her new bed where sleep was not coming to her. It would be difficult to get used to sleeping during the night and work in the day, but at least she would be protected from the sunlight by the Dungeons.

Rolling around in her bed, she could not stop thinking about what she had just done.  
What she had done several years ago in front of Snape was in itself enough reason to make him not trust her, though he didn't seem to remember, but flashing her fangs at him as a result of a mere heated discussion would not help her situation at all.

'_That's what being in the presence of all these humans will do I suppose…' _

She looked around Snape's old room, which she had not redecorated yet. It still smelled of him, a pleasant smell of a slightly perfumed man, and shoe polish.  
Though one would never have expected this gesture from Snape, he had known that Laenaya would not have enough time on the first day to bring in all her belongings and arrange everything so he left her his bed neatly made with freshly washed sheets.

His room was small compared to what she was used to but she didn't mind.  
Having formerly been a soldier, she was used to resting places that were much worse.

There was a small window on one of the walls, way up high, but Laenaya could see that it had not been opened often, Snape seemed to dislike the sunlight as much as she did for there was even a black curtain in front of it.

Besides the spacious bed, nothing seemed particularly intricate, his furniture, which he had kindly left for her to use, was simple and practical; all black of course.

Although his vacant taste of decoration was much different to hers, she felt quite comfortable in his room. At the moment, only her sword hung on his wall, but when the rest came, her lavish paintings, statues and weapons would complement his simplicity very well, and he had enough space for her most treasured books.  
After living for a few hundred years, her entire collection of books was as big as the entire Hogwarts library, but she didn't need them all.

She felt bad enough about the accident she had had with her fangs but the still lingering smell of him around his room was not helping her forget.  
He seemed to be angry with her from the moment she walked into Hogwarts.  
It occurred to her that what she did at Malfoy Manor probably led to grave consequences for the Death Eaters. Feeling even guiltier, she decided that it would perhaps be best to apologise to him as soon as possible, so she got up and left the room.

"Stalking for prey already Miss Darkstrom?" Laenaya had just wanted to knock on Snape's door when he emerged from a corridor behind her.

Laenaya tried to take his comment lightly and took a step towards him.

"Professor Snape, I have come to show you my good intentions."

Snape raised an eyebrow but let her continue.

"First I must ask, do you remember me?"

Snape glared at her for the fact that she was openly addressing their previous acquaintance.

"One never forgets the Cruciatus Curse Miss Darkstrom." He said this not to make her pity him, but to provoke her.

She did not take it that way though and frowned with pity.

She bowed her head slightly before getting on her hands and knees and placing her forehead on the floor.

"Professor Snape, please accept my apology! I have given you many reasons to distrust me and have caused you great pain, albeit unknowingly."

Snape was shocked, what was she doing?

"What in Me-" he began but she interrupted him.

"I deeply regret that because of me, you had to suffer a curse and that on top of that, I have without reason, displayed hostility towards you. Professor Snape, please forgive me!"

"Merlin's Beard, woman! Get up!" With that he pulled her into his new quarters and looked around him before shutting the door, to make sure no one had seen that.  
Were he not Severus Snape, his face would be burning red at this moment.

Laenaya was confused at the annoyance he was displaying, did this mean he wasn't going to accept her apology? She didn't apologise very often, perhaps it came across as not being genuine.

"Sit!" he motioned towards a sofa chair. She sat down and he noticed that she wasn't wearing any shoes, or any proper clothes for that matter. Just her nightgown. The hair that fell over her arms and back only barely concealed several tattoos.

She obviously still had a lot to learn about Hogwarts, and humans even.

"Miss Darkstrom, I take it that you have good reason not to be wearing any robes or shoes?"

Now she was getting angry again, he couldn't treat her like a student! But she couldn't very well apologise to him and then yell at him again so she took a deep breath.

"I was not aware that it was a requirement."

"It is a requirement. If the students saw you dressed this way, they might assume that it is no longer necessary to follow Hogwart's rules of proper attire. It is a matter of discipline as well as a precaution to prevent illnesses from the cold." He decided not to address her tattoos.

"I see." She nodded in understanding.

"As for what you just did in the corridor Miss Darkstrom," embarrassment swelled up in his stomach at the thought "It is not common practice for humans to offer remorse in that way, at least not in this day and age and in this part of the world."

"Oh…" Her cheeks turned red and Snape could not help but notice how vulnerable she looked now.

"I'm sorry Professor Snape, I did not know how else to show how deeply sorry I am. It is common practice amongst Vampires."

"Simple verbal or written apologies will suffice from now on." He looked at her, eyes glinting.

She felt grateful for his careful handling of the situation, she had not expected him to even listen to her let alone gently explain the proper way to behave. She stood up and walked over to him.

"Thank you Severus." She smiled at him and placed her hand on his shoulder to express her gratitude, she was sure that she could do this as she had seen students do it, and teachers as well through the course of the evening.

Her touch had sent waves of energy through his body, as he was not used to being touched, he drew back almost instantly.

Laenaya, even more confused assumed that he drew back because he thought she was going to attack him so she took another step towards him and once again placed her hand on his arm, this time more affectionately.

Though the surge of energy he felt at her second touch was not as great as the first time, he began to feel even more uncomfortable because he sensed that she had put in more affection the second time.

"Get out." He said this quietly but harshly.

"Have I offended you?" she could smell his anger.

"Severus?" she was looking up at his face. "Severus? Is everything alri-"

Snape interrupted her by grabbing her arms and violently shoving her into the wall and pinning her to it. His face was only inches in front of hers, she was looking right into his eyes.  
She could have thrown him off her, but she decided to let him take out his anger, even though she could not understand why he was so angry.

He was breathing heavily and she could feel his breath on her face, it was nice.

He leaned in even closer, his nose almost touching her face.

_'What is he doing?' _

Suddenly he moved his head back and let her go.

"It's Professor Snape." He said calmly.

He casually walked towards the door and opening, motioned for her to leave, which she did.

Closing the door, he walked back into his room and sat on the bed.

He couldn't believe what he had just done, one moment he was angry, and the next…he didn't even know.

'_Couldn't she have learned about proper behaviour before coming here?' _

Why did she have to touch him? She was probably trying using her Vampiric Charming Spell to lure him into a trap.

'_Damned Woman' _he thought.


	5. Going Soft

_CHAPTER 5  
Getting Soft _

**I really don't have a lot of reviews at all but I would love to know what everyone thinks, so please click that little button and leave a comment! A simple "this sucks" or "this rules" will suffice!  
Of course I would be eternally grateful if you would leave constructive reviews, letting me know what you like, what you hate etc.  
I can see the statistics so I know that considerably more people are reading than reviewing so please, let your thoughts be known!**

Having said that, I feel like some people might dismiss this story for featuring what they think is a Mary-Sue, but it is not at all my intention for the character portrayed here to be overly powerful! I merely attempted to make it seem that way, much like how Canon Dumbledore seems to almost be an omniscient and almost omnipotent being in the first few books, but later we see the fact that he is not only an afraid and aging man, but also quite manipulative. 

**Anyway, please bear with me and read and review! Thank you so much to all my reviewers! If you have any questions, ask away! You give me the strength to continue!**

**-**_  
_Laenaya returned to her room that night, angry and at the same time deeply upset. Rejection seemed excessively cruel to her, especially after a genuine attempt to make friends.

It now appeared to be even more laborious to fall asleep than before and so she stayed up the entire night selecting clothes and robes that she thought Snape would deem appropriate; or lying in her bed wishing that she had something to do that did not involve seeking Snapes approval.

The sun was finally beginning its painfully lazy climb from the earth to the sky. As the first fresh rays were released into this world, Laenaya instantly felt the waves of fatigue sweep over her. She could not see the sun from the dungeons, but she could sense that it was up and before long; she had no choice but to force herself up and to the Great Hall for Breakfast.

The ceiling revealed that, although the sun was up, the sky outside was grey and gloomy. She was grateful that what she saw was only a projected image of what was outside; otherwise her skin would have long been ablaze in unbearable agony.  
Nevertheless, she could not stop looking up; she had not even seen a hint of the sun's rays in centuries. It was captivating.

Of course, Snape was also there but he extensively ignored her, as was to be expected.  
She felt a pang of sorrow at seeing him converse with the other teachers, though he was not affectionate towards them, he was more amicable towards them than he would ever be towards her.  
He even smiled occasionally, granted it was cynical but it was there nonetheless.

She was sitting right next to him and he didn't even glance at her.

She couldn't understand why it was bothering her so much. She would never deny the fact that he was attractive and interesting, but he was just a human, there was no reason why she should feel so guilty for what happened in his past, or anything at all.

_'I'm getting soft. Perhaps being around so many humans wasn't such a good idea…'  
_

With a jolt of pain she nostalgically remembered Lucius Malfoy. It dawned on her that he had probably also suffered the Cruciatus Curse in consequence of her actions. Maybe even all the Death Eaters…

At the teacher's table, the other staff members came to introduce themselves to Laenaya and she was pleased to see that she didn't seem to be the only eccentric figure in the crowd. The gamekeeper was definitely, at least in part, a giant; and she was sure to have spotted distinct goblin traits in the Charms professor.

It made her happy; maybe she would fit in after all.

"Did you have a good night Professor Darkstrom?" Minerva was just sitting down.

"I'm afraid I must get used to sleeping at nights." Laenaya yawned.

"Ah someone who shares my troubles!" A man wearing extremely shabby robes (Laenaya wondered whether Snape would apprehend him any minute) approached Laenaya and her only companion, and extended his hand to her.

"Remus Lupin, I teach Muggle Studies here at Hogwarts. You must be Laenaya."

"Indeed I am." Laenaya took his hand. This was the one that Dumbledore had informed her was a Werewolf.  
Vampires and Werewolves had fought many wars against each other and with each other, though more recently against each other; she could smell those dogs from miles away.

This one however, had clearly not been born that way. He was a half-breed. She could not harbour animosity toward a half-breed; he could never help having been bitten. Besides, he was displaying pure friendliness. One thing was strange though, why would a Werewolf teach Muggle Studies?

"Ah yes, I do share your troubles indeed Professor. The moon was full last night, was it not? I am a creature of the night and am not accustomed to sleep when the moon is out." Laenaya attempted a warm smile.

She sensed that, to her left, Snape was subtly listening in.

Lupin returned the smile. "Tell me Miss Darkstrom, do you possess the ability of Animagus transformation?"

Laenaya, not quite sure where Lupin was headed with this, simply gave him a hesitant nod.

"I see." He grinned, "Anyway, please do call me Remus! I believe there is a solution to our problem, if you'd like, we could take a stroll outside together at the next opportunity and keep each other company." he placed a hand on Laenaya's shoulder

Laenaya, now understanding exactly what he meant, felt warm inside at being offered such innocent and honest friendship. Something treasured even among vampires. 

"I'd like that very much Remus. Perhaps we could become a new generation of never before seen friends." Laenaya wondered what her army would think of their general if they saw her right now.

'_Going horribly soft…' _

"I look forward to it!" Remus squeezed her and Minervas shoulder before returning to his seat.

Suddenly Laenaya realized that she was not the only one at risk of being rejected by her friends and family, and her home. Remus would never have a home. To the Humans he was a dangerous Wolf and to the Wolves he was a slimy human.  
She felt at one with the universe, once more she understood the cruelty that befalls all those who are different, all those who stood out. She remembered why in her youth she had sworn to become a revered, feared and powerful general and was now retreating to the simple life of a teacher.

"I'm glad that you will be getting along with Remus, he's a wonderful man!" Minerva said as she poured herself some more pumpkin juice.

"Yes, he seems so, though it may seem str-"

"Decided to get a dog, Miss Darkstrom?" Snape interrupted Laenaya, who just continued to munch on her cherry red pancake, which seemed to be found only on her plate.

"Oh Severus, really? I don't think Re-" Minerva began but Snape also interrupted her.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Miss Darkstrom. Some may mistake wolves for dogs, but they will always be wolves; as dangerous and treacherous as vampire bats. Although I am quite sure that you are perfectly familiar with treachery and violence." His voice was dripping with unnecessary venom.

"Severus, what on earth is wrong with you?" Minerva exclaimed, her voice full of authority and her lips pursed.

Laenaya marvelled at how shocked Minerva seemed, she had assumed that this was Snape's standard behaviour, it was after all much the same as the day before and the day that she first met him.

"Well professor Snape, I understand that you yourself have been compared to a bat several times, perhaps that means then that you are perfectly familiar with my nature as well." Laenaya pretended to check the time on the clock. "Well, I must be off. As the new resident bat, I have some students to frighten."

Without looking back to see the expression on his face, Laenaya made her way towards the dungeons.

Her first few lessons passed surprisingly smoothly, the only exception being clumsy first years dropping acidic substances on the floor, which she had to magic away after they created holes and burn marks.

She was amazed at the fact that she felt no urges to brutally torture and drain her students of their blood, she was actually enjoying it. There was something calming and it felt like the easy life, demonstrating how to gently stir a potion and even answering pubescent girls' eager questions about love potions. She was actually having a good laugh with the students, who seemed to be relieved that her temper was not as challenged as Snapes.

'_Maybe things will go well after all. Oh my people, do not reject me Nyx be at my side…' _

And so her first day passed, being fairly uneventful. She walked through the corridors, careful not to pass any windows or other places where sunlight could reach her. Though, to her delight, she would catch a glimpse of some of it from afar.

She also encountered Snape several times and could now understand how the students felt whenever they encountered him. He ignored her though of course.

When night finally came, she was so tired that when she got to her room she actually fell asleep without any effort, as strange as it felt.

She could not manage to get up for breakfast though and so she skipped it and went straight to her first class that day.

Coincidentally, as she walked in, she saw that it was Harry Potters year. After careful consideration, she decided that she wasn't going to shower the poor boy and his friends with questions or silly comments. He probably wanted a normal life, and he seemed grateful that she didn't say anything. Though she did mentally congratulate him.

As she was reading the list to check presences, a particular name caught her attention and her un-dead heart skipped a few beats, if it actually could.

_'It can't be!'_

"Draco Malfoy?" She read the name aloud and her stomach fluttered.

"Yes, present." A boy at the very front said coldly. His hair was blonde, his skin pale, he had to be Lucius' son.

"Tell me dear, what are your parents name?" she asked, masking her excitement. All the students turned their heads at the boy who flinched at being called 'dear'.

"What you mean you don't know?" He asked arrogantly. Ah yes of course, his arrogant tone reminded Laenaya of Narcissa. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

_'This must be Lucius' son…'_

"Unbelievable! Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy? Never heard of them?" came the voice of the boy.

'_Oh great…and he's obviously still married to her.' _Laenaya rolled her eyes.

She called out the name of the next student, ignoring Dracos question and his shock at the fact that she didn't seem to know his father.

She couldn't decide how to treat him because she was very fond of Lucius and not at all fond of Narcissa. Memories came back to her of the night she rejected Voldemort's offer and of what happened months after.

-FLASHBACK-

"I suggest that we join the war, help the Wizards defeat Voldemort and then take their prisoners as gifts and for blood! Some of those Werewolf Dogs have joined them, it would be another perfect chance to intimidate those snarling fools!" Laenaya said as she sat at a table where 4 other vampires were gathered.

"General, we cannot afford to go about raping and pillaging as barbarians would! Let them have their quarrel and we will take the ones that lose!" One of the 5 vampires, Melexis his name, yelled as he slammed his fist on the table. Most of the others nodded.

"Well my_ Lord_" Laenaya retorted cynically, looking around the room of gatherings at her Elder Vampire colleagues, "It is a bit late to adopt this cowardly vulture attitude since you have already signed the treaty with their Ministry! We who were once feared are now Beings remember? We cannot betray them! And since you were all too cowardly, you sent me to inform Voldemort of that fact. Well gentleman, I can tell you now that this was well played. You have nothing to worry about, for if he wins this war, it is my head which will roll first!"

One of them laughed cruelly. It was Drogan, who had wanted Laenayas position before she even got it, but he was not a good fighter and so had to content himself being senior counsellor to the 'Khaîn', Khaîn being the Vampiric title of King. Which meant that Drogan was a personal secretary to the Vampire King. He would never forgive Laenaya for getting the job that he so desperately wanted.

"Are you afraid my Lady?" he said sarcastically through fake giggles to Laenaya. This provoked her so much that she immediately got up, throwing her armchair across the room.  
Weapons were not permitted indoors, except to the soldiers, but even they could not carry their swords into the Room of Gatherings, nor the Throne Room. So Laenaya used her brute force to pin him to the wall by his neck.

"Drogan you coward, how dare you insult me!" she yelled ferociously. None of the other Vampires interfered, even if they would have dared to do so, they wouldn't have. They all hated Drogan.

He couldn't talk because her hands were squeezing his vocal chords. He was choking, though of course he wouldn't die. That didn't matter to the General though; she could play the game of Prometheus and keep him choking until the end of time.

"I have a mind to rip off your head and scatter the rest of your body to the winds in the sun, coward!" Laenaya was raging now, she could barely contain her anger, and yet none of the other vampires reacted. One of them even yawned, being used to the Generals short temper.

"What is the meaning of this racket?" Boomed a demonic baritone voice from the Gilded Doors of the entrance. It was the Khaîn, the Vampire King, surrounded by his servants.

Laenaya quickly dropped Drogan the coward and got on one knee, as did the others.

"Drogan you useless maiden! What have you done to anger my General?" The King moved towards his secretary and kicked him violently before ordering some of his servants to take him away.

"Melexis, tell me what has happened." The King demanded as he made his way to sit on the miniature throne, which was raised on a platform overlooking the Gathering Table.

Melexis got up and informed his Khaîn of the quarrel that they had just had, while the King stroked his lavish fear-inspiring beard.

"What a fool! I only keep Drogan because he's the best dancer out of all you miserable lot!" The Khaîn laughed long and heartily at his own joke.

"Laenaya!" The King boomed, gesturing for her to come closer, which she did.

"Your Majesty." She replied and moved towards him.

"I am afraid that Melexis is right, he is the sensible one after all." The Khaîn said pensively, while Melexis the sensible beamed with pride.

"We will let the humans quarrel, and we will relish in the blood of the side who loses." The Khaîns voice was now filled with authority.

"With all due respect your Majesty, does our noble race think only of food these days?" Laenayas short temper got the better of her and she blurted this out.

The King laughed loudly again. "Ah little pup, you fight well but your patience knows quick limits! Heed the words of your wise Khaîn; this war will end soon and that snake Voldemort, will fall!" The King slammed his heavy gigantic hand on the arm of his throne. "Now go my children, enjoy the rest of the Night and her gifts! I for one, am summoning as many maidens as will fit on my bed to my bedchamber tonight, and I suggest you do the same!" The Vampires laughed with their King while Laenaya silently left the Chamber before her King could think of taking her to his bed.

The infernal patron of the night was a great admirer of all female creatures; hence his charming little habit of referring to all women as 'maidens', regardless of whether they were actual maidens or not.

As she exited the Chamber, she found one of her Ladies waiting for her.

"General, a human has been found. He claims to know you." The Lady announced.

"A Human?" Laenaya asked, puzzled.

"Yes, a Wizard speaking English."

Laenayas heart raced. "Take me to him."

The Lady led her to the dungeons where Lucius Malfoy sat patiently in a cell. They hadn't harmed him apparently.

"Lucius, what a pleasant surprise!" Laenaya remarked casually while making the guard unlock the cell.

"My Lady." Lucius said as he kissed her hand. "I left my master, without his knowledge, to come to you." Laenayas heart fluttered.

She led Lucius to her apartment in the castle of the Khaîn, hoping that the latter would not see her, as she was sure he wanted her in his bed tonight. Though the King was extraordinarily and endearingly amiable for a monstrous monarch he'd take any humanoids with lady bits, even some non-humanoids…

"Lucius, is it not dangerous for you to be here?" Laenaya worriedly asked as she closed the door behind her.

"I believe that he-who-must-not-be-named will be defeated soon." Lucius said eagerly. 

"There has been a prophecy, it tells of a boy who will defeat the Dark Lord. He will be born as the seventh month dies. Severus heard it." Lucius replied Laenayas silent question and told her of Severus' account of what had occurred in the Leaky Cauldron when Snape interviewed Professor Trelawney, the supposed charlatan of divination. 

They sat in silence for a while, the Vampire General taking in the information.

"Why are you telling me this Lucius?"

Lucius took her hand. "I wish to get to know you better. Without my master to get in the way, I could do just that."

Laenaya laughed darkly. "You're married you fool." Her tone of voice was not pleasant.

"I care not for that wretched narcissistic wife of mine, I am here for you. I have travelled countless miles to reach you, upon the penalty of my life. I believe there is something between us. Were I not married already, I would marry you instantly!" He touched her cheek.

She was somewhat excited by his touch, like a schoolgirl; but was he really declaring his love? Of course he was attractive but…love? It seemed a bit far-fetched.

This was the kind of man who could make a woman's knees give way with one look, but he was also the kind of man who could make empty promises to his mistress while his wife was away.

As if to underline that thought, one of Laenayas ladies entered.

"My General, another human is here. A Woman, also speaking English."

"Narcissa." Hissed Lucius angrily.

"Bring her in." Laenaya ordered in a monotonous voice.

Her Ladies sensed that Laenaya was not fond of the new guest and so they threw her in violently.

"Lucius, what are you doing here with her?" Narcissa sobbed.

"I wish to stay here, go home Narcissa." Lucius tried to dismiss her.

"Lucius, do not abandon your family for this mo-" Narcissas pleas were interrupted by Lucius, who clicked his tongue in severe annoyance.

"I am with child!" The pathetic woman was near tears.

Laenaya, who was getting bored of the drama, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She had taken a particular liking to Lucius, but this was ridiculous.

"Go back to your _wife _Lucius, I mean nothing to you." She said bitterly.

Narcissa got up, regained her composure and glared at Laenaya and Lucius.

"Lucius, if you do not come back to take care of your child, I will reveal to the Dark Lord where you are and you will all be killed!"

Laenaya got up. "I will kill you before you do it."

"If you kill me, the message will be sent immediately. I have prepared the spell already." She wiped the few tears that she had let escape and put on the most arrogant and triumphant facial expression that she could muster.

Laenaya considered this for a moment. What did she care if Lucius died? Well she did care. Even though she was not sure how sincere his feelings were, she seemed to care about him at least a little more than she cared to admit. Charm is so deceiving.

"Lucius, please leave. Either way, the Elders will not accept you and even if the King does, it would ruin his reputation." Lucius frowned to this. "If that Snake Lord truly falls, you can come back. Go back to your wife."

'_Perhaps this unborn child is the one of which the prophecy speaks.' _As this thought crossed Laenayas mind, she remarked that the same one seemed to be crossing Lucius' mind, judging by the way he was staring at her.

Lucius looked down at the floor and after a few moments of thought, walked towards Laenaya and kissed her hand again. "We shall meet again my Lady."

And with that, he and Narcissa disapparated.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

"No Neville dear, you must use the stone pestle and not the wooden one." Laenaya said, coming back from her memory.

"If you use the wooden one, the roots will explode!" She warned, smiling at the boy, who breathed a sigh of relief.

Laenaya looked over at Draco Malfoy and decided that she would treat him well. He was just a child, and she was going terribly soft after all.


	6. The Lunar Discovery

**Okay everyone, I am planning on making this story lengthy and epic so there will be many events following each other. Sometimes several different events will occur in each chapter and you won't hear about them again until there comes a point where they will intertwine. Although of course I think you know what the primary focus is, things take time! So please be patient and enjoy the journey regardless of how twisted the paths may become! Thanks for the encouragement, especially to my latest reviewer who seemed to want to remain anonymous ;)**

* * *

_CHAPTER 6  
_The Lunar Discovery

Laenaya hadn't spoken to Snape in several days and was getting more and more comfortable at Hogwarts with every passing night. She had met all of her students by now and was delighted to discover that, besides a few amusing misfits, none would pose her any major problems and that all had seemed to respect her so far.

She said goodbye to her first year class, who were currently leaving the dungeons and greeted the incoming fifth year class.  
The lessons helped to take her mind off her past and Lucius Malfoy, and so she felt at peace.

The only thing to cause her any real sorrow these days was the fact that the weather was becoming increasingly colder, which she despised, and that the rays of the sun could no longer be seen properly through the enchanted ceiling, nor through any windows in the castle.  
She loved thunderstorms but the foreshadowing snows and already occurring icy winds were things that she would have destroyed had she had the power. Besides being unusually early for such cold, as September had not yet waned, it frustrated her that she could no longer catch as many glimpses of the sun as she would have liked. Since she arrived at Hogwarts and had the chance to see the sun under the enchanted ceiling, her nostalgia had grown.

Her conversations with Minerva and Remus were a pleasure to her though, and they cheered her up extensively. They were the reason for which she forced herself to awaken with the miserably weak sun every morning for breakfast. She also enjoyed conversations with the other teachers who would occasionally join in, with the sole exception of Snape of course. It no longer even bothered her that he would eavesdrop in every conversation, whether it be about the weather, the students or even more trivial things such as hobbies and music or feather preference.

After classes ended, and Laenaya managed to impede her mind from returning to her memories, she decided to distract herself by going through the ingredients Snape had in his storage room by the office, which was now also hers. She decided to tidy up and sort the ones that she had brought with her, with the newly arrived ones from home, along with his.

His organisation was meticulous. Not only was everything sorted alphabetically but also by category and danger levels.  
This was made all the more impressive by the fact that he had countless potions already made, probably as many potions as there were ingredients; of course all sorted just as perfectly.  
Some of them Laenaya recognised as common and easy to make, while others were rare and dangerous. Some of them she did not recognise at all and could only guess their purpose.

At first she wondered whether she should ask Snape for permission to sort her belongings with his but quickly decided against it. The next time she approached him, he would probably first verbally cut her into pieces and then after a good long session of mental torture, throw her out into the sun to burn.  
So instead she decided to invert her labels to make them easily recognisable. His were white with black writing and so she'd make hers black with white writing.

She made her way back to her room where most of the newly arrived ingredients where still stored in boxes and luggage bags. Beginning with the more student-friendly ingredients, she began carrying the packages over to the storage room and piling them carefully.  
She was just bringing in her third box when she found a student sitting at a desk, with blonde waist-length hair; when she caught a glimpse of it after opening the door she got a brief shock, thinking it might be Lucius. The student was playing with her necklace, which reminded Laenaya of a particular branch of voodoo that was practiced where she was from.

She took a moment to search through the library in her mind and find a name to match the student to.

"Ah Luna, is everything all right?"

"I couldn't say," the young girl replied mysteriously. "The Universe has many secrets."

"Indeed." Laenaya muttered with a smile, she liked this funny young girl.

After a few moments of quiet in which Laenaya stared at the student, puzzled by her silence, Luna finally opened her mouth.

"Professor, I have a question." She asked somewhat shyly, although with a good measure of confidence.

"Of course Luna, ask away." The Vampire replied, relieved that the girl wasn't just going to sit there.

Luna took a deep breath and after careful consideration she turned her head

"Why are there invisible Wrackspurts always crowding around you? I'd like to find out more about them." her big silver-blue eyes stared right into Laenayas.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Laenaya answered, even more puzzled than before.

"Well," The girl paused dramatically and Laenaya wondered whether it was truly just for the effect or because the girl was getting distracted because she had seen spirits or something of the sort.

"Every time I have classes with you Professor" she continued, "I feel the same way that I do when Wrackspurts are around, and it feels like a countless many are swarming around you but I can't see them. I asked Hermione, she knows a lot too, but she didn't take me seriously." Luna shrugged her shoulders and turned her head to stare far off into the distance again.

Laenaya leaned on her desk and tried to understand what the young girl could possibly mean. After a while, she had an epiphany.

"Ah!" exclaimed Laenaya, surprised at the young girls possible affinity. "Does it give you headaches?" she asked, perhaps a bit too gleefully.

"Why yes. At the back and the front of my head simultaneously " Said Luna, sounding like she was singing. Everything she said sounded like a song.

"Sorry about that Luna." Laenaya apologised, "but I believe it's not Wrackspurts."

"What could it possibly be?" Luna asked the cauldron next to the desk.

Laenaya stretched out her hand and Luna thought she could see a tiny pitch-black ball of what seemed to be magical energy growing in her teachers' palm.

"If it's what I think it is, then it's Dark Energy. I'm surprised you can sense it." Her vampiric teacher answered cheerfully.

"Like the Dark Arts?" Lunas head instantly turned back towards her teacher, but she did not seem at all frightened. After all, she had participated in the war.

"Oh no not at all." Laenaya laughed "At least not necessarily. It's just different from what we know. We call it Dark, not because it is evil or dark, but because we do not know much about it." Laenaya took out a lollipop and after unwrapping it; she put it in her mouth and sat on her desk.

"Have you ever heard of Umbrakinesis Luna?"

"The ability to control darkness?" Luna stated simply.

"That's right. The common theory is that these "shadow particles", whatever that may be, exist; and it seems that Umbrakinetics are able to control them." She paused to see if the girl was following, but Luna gave no indication of even paying attention. "Everyone knows about photons, light particles; even the Muggles know of them. Well you see, we have come to believe that every photon has a counterpart." Luna now nodded, showing that she was indeed following.

"The thing is though, we just don't quite understand what the counterpart is. We think it's there but there's no way of grabbing it, except for the Umbrakinetics, but to them it's just shadows" Laenaya crossed her legs.

'_But how can you be sensing it?' _Laenayas mind was formulating a theory.

"I see." Luna crossed her arms on the table, she seemed tired.

"Let's experiment!" The teacher said cheerfully.

She suppressed her aura, so that it would have been barely noticeable, even for someone as fine-tuned as Luna.  
The young girl turned her head in accordance to Laenayas suppression, quite extraordinarily. The more the teacher suppressed, the more the girls eyes indicated that she was returning to their dimension.

"Better?" The ex-general asked.

"Why yes, almost gone!" Luna got up energetically; the slight frown gone from her face.

"Remarkable!" Laenaya exclaimed. Luna was smiling now.

"This which you are sensing is a somewhat involuntary version of my ability. Like the ability to speak Parseltongue, or to foresee the future, it is always there. In this case it's in my aura."

She walked over to the girl, trying to determine whether she could sense any Dark Energy around her.

"Hmm…interesting." She couldn't sense anything.

"Theoretically, any wizard can sense magic and is therefore able to sense Dark Energy. However, as with Parselmouths and Seers, the Dark Energy that Umbrakinetics possess and emit is something indirect; you can tell that they're different, but you can't quite put your finger on it." Laenaya explained. This is why it was so strange that the Potions Mistress was giving Luna headaches.

"Luna, may I see your hands?" The Vampire asked, she was forming an exciting idea in her mind but she couldn't sense any Dark Energy around the girl, she'd have to dig deeper.

Luna happily stretched out her hands, which seemed to be decorated in various eccentric rings.

Laenaya took them and closed her eyes, still nothing…

"Miss Darkstrom, would you mind telling me what you are doing? Have you found a victim already?" Snape's quiet but menacing voice echoed in the empty classroom.  
Seeing them there that way had instantly reminded him of that horror incident in Malfoy Manor, all those years ago.

"Oh hello Professor" Laenaya said innocently, letting go of Lunas hands. "Luna and I were simply experimenting."

"With blood flavours Miss Darkstrom? The students are not _gifts_." He said angrily.  
Laenaya turned to face him completely, all the joy gone from her face.

Luna, not understanding what was going on simply stated happily "Professor Darkstrom was explaining something quite interesting to me Professor Snape."

"Miss Lovegood, unless it is your hearts desire to aid in his quest to keep the various trophies of this school immaculately clean, I suggest you return to your house now. " He said with authority and Luna instantly obeyed, fluttering away slowly, like a butterfly with feet, but before she was out of the room Snape decided to punish her further.

"And that's ten points from Ravenclaw for imprudence."

Laenaya wanted to counter his point deduction by adding points to Ravenclaw defiantly, but she suddenly realised that Snape was sending the young student away to protect her, and that he was taking points to discourage her from putting herself in danger.  
For just a moment, a tiny second, as much as Laenaya would hate to admit it, she felt a fleeting, teeny tiny admiration for him.

Luna didn't let his punishment get to her and so she simply continued her butterfly dance steps out and away from the dungeons.

Snape closed the door behind her.

"So what is it that you were explaining to the girl Miss Darkstrom? How you suck blood from defenceless young students? I believe I am not mistaken in saying that young girls seem to be your preference." His eyes were glinting with spite.

"Professor Snape, you're going too far now." Laenaya was doing her best to be patient; his words were no longer provoking but merely saddening. "The girl was demonstrating an affinity with Umbrakinesis and I was simply attempting to find some Dark Energy in her."

Snape made a sound that was like an angry chuckle "Again, I think you should apply to Potters gang Miss Darkstrom, and this time for the ability to come up with excuses." He crossed his arms "How likely are we to find an Umbrakinetic? More importantly, why is it that you think yourself more qualified to identify it than the other teachers at Hogwarts? Do you really believe we would not have noticed something like this for so long? She has never showed any signs that any unusual powers were forming in her."

"You know that these kinds of skills are not uncommon amongst my kind Professor. Also, you know very well how difficult it is to identify such powers! It is a well-known fact that Harry Potter himself did not realise that he was a Parselmouth until after others informed him of the fact! He did not even know such a thing exists!" Laenaya paused. "Even Tom Riddle…" she added darkly.

Snape did not even shudder at the mention of his old masters name, but he was most certainly not happy about it; he chose to ignore it. "I was never aware that Miss Lovegood showed any indication of being a vampire." He semi-snapped sarcastically.

"Oh please, you know exactly what I mean! She was able to sense the energy I was emitting and, as you know that, when this happens, it most likely means that she herself has the very same trait."

Snape sighed but Laenaya decided to continue, "It is difficult for Umbrakinetics to notice their talents. How can a parselmouth speak Parseltongue if there are no snakes around? Umbrakinetics can't control Dark Energy if they can't find it, let alone know it exists." She paused once more, awaiting his reaction; but he said nothing.

"If Luna has this talent, I could train her!" Laenayas face lit up with enthusiasm. In contrast, Snapes expression screamed scepticism.

"I could ask Dumbledore." She continued and noting his growing annoyance she added, "Look, if you distrust me that much Professor, please join us. Let me try to train her and you could keep me in check. You could also give your much valued opinion."

After what seemed like an eternity of thought, Snape leaned against a pupils desk. His face seemed to have changed. Was she really being serious? Why would she genuinely be so interested in a student?

For just a moment, a tiny second, as much as he would hate to admit it, he felt like he could trust and believe her. A fleeting emotion however, which he suppressed almost immediately.

His sour expression returned, though this time it seemed less spiteful than before. "I see that you have been snooping around my ingredients closet." He commented looking at the boxes that were piled next to the desk.

"I knew you wouldn't like it. But I teach here now too and since I need some space to p-"

"Come Miss Darkstrom, let us speak to the Headmaster." He said this not kindly, but still it was probably the gentlest tone that he could muster.

Laenaya could not believe it, he didn't reprimand or insult her at all, even though she had defiled his closet. Waiting for him to burst out in anger, she made her way, at his side, to Professor Dumbledores office.

* * *

"And so Professor, when I saw that her headache had ameliorated at the same time at which I dimmed my emission, I was sure that she must have the same gift."  
Laenaya took another crimson sweet from Dumbledores bowl.

"Miss Darkstrom believes she can train the girl." Snape added with forced animosity.

"I think it's an excellent idea _Professor_ Darkstrom." Dumbledore remarked, putting emphasis on 'Professor', while eying Snape in a somewhat fatherly fashion.

"However," he began, taking another Fizzing Whizbee "I would keep an open mind, one can never know if the treasure being pursued, is the wrong one."

Snape smiled triumphantly and Laenaya, puzzled, made to ask what he meant but he continued before she could.

"Perhaps the Room of Requirement would be the most suitable training ground. I give Luna permission to train whenever she likes." He paused, "if that is what she wants."

"Headmaster, if I may, I believe it would be wise to have someone supervise these sessions, and I volunteer to do so." Snape said dryly.

"Yes, yes of course Severus." Dumbledore smiled wisely at Laenaya and she sensed that he knew exactly how much Snape mistrusted her.

"So," Laenaya said in an attempt to break the strange atmosphere in which so many words were spoken with simple silence. "Perhaps we'd better ask Luna what she makes of all of this; it is about her after all."

Snape made a face as if to say 'If we must. Not that children should have any rights anyway.'

Luna, as was to be expected, rejoiced in hearing that she would receive private training in order to determine whether she had any talents that had been previously unknown to her and if she did, what they were.  
After discussing the details, they had agreed upon meeting twice a week at the Room of Requirement. Laenaya was to suppress her aura enough so as not to give Luna headaches, and Severus was to give Luna more theoretical information on Dark Energy in her Defence against the Dark Arts classes; although he only agreed to do so after he was reassured that he would only be required to do so if Luna would work faster than her classmates and took the time to learn while the others practiced. If necessary, she was to catch up alone.

After having paid a visit to Luna, Snape and Laenaya walked back to the Dungeons, discussing the possible new discovery.

Laenaya was absolutely certain that it was Umbrakinesis. Snape, on the other hand, was absolutely certain that no special powers would be found in Luna at all; he was convinced that it was simply her eccentricity which attracted Laenaya and led her to believe that the girl was special in some way.

"Why would she be having headaches if not for Umbrakinesis? As I said before, she could only sense the Dark Energy if it was around, so when I came she sensed it!" Laenaya wasn't sure why she was trying so hard to convince her serious colleague. She sounded and felt like she was explaining to a student why one and one made two.

"Perhaps, the girl was sensing something else in you." Snape said, in a tone that was suddenly so cold that it took Laenaya by surprise. They had been talking normally all afternoon and now, completely unexpectedly, he seemed to be back with his old animosity.

"Oh now this starts again? I thought we were on normal terms." She said half sadly, half darkly.

Snape smirked, "Are you not immortal Miss Darkstrom?"

"Well, I think so…" Snape rolled his eyes at her vagueness and she quickly tried to save herself by adding, "There has never been any account of a vampire dying of age, so I assume that yes, I am immortal. Although I would think that, I could only say for sure if I would meet the first vampire there ever was and accompany him to the end of time." She was getting carried away by the philosophical aspect of her answer.

"Be that as it may," Snape could barely contain his wicked mirth, "my point was that, for an immortal being, patience does not seem to be your strong point."

Laenaya frowned with embarrassment.

"Simply because I have allowed you to possibly waste my time today, it does not mean that we are, in any way, _friends_."

Laenaya frowned even more deeply, she could not deny the truth in his words. It was only today that he had even bothered to talk to her at all, and here she was assuming that she could speak to him and philosophise with him as she would with Remus Lupin.

'_Men!' _she thought, her mind instantly shifting to Lucius Malfoy.

"I apologise for having wasted your time then." She spoke quietly. "I shall retreat to ruining your storage room." She began to move away from him when she remembered something.

"Oh yes," she breathed looking at the walls around her, "Fifteen points to Miss Luna Lovegood of Ravenclaw House, for taking initiative." She said this loudly and clearly to make sure that the castle had registered the new points and to make sure that Snape had heard.


	7. The Other Side of the Mirror

**A/N: I know it has been a long time since I have updated this, but a few days ago a very kind and devoted reader and reviewer, Adellameeka (who happens to be an author as well, I particularly enjoy her story "An Artists Touch") commented asking if I would update this at some point. **

**Though my statistics tell me that people are reading, I must admit that I had become slightly discouraged by the lack of reviews and so I decided to stop. This latest review has motivated me substantially however, and I have now not only finished this chapter, but also the next chapter, and the following chapters are being drafted right now! **

**So, please enjoy! **

_CHAPTER 7: The other side of the Mirror_

Snape watched as Laenaya move away from him, not sure whether she was really hurt by his words or whether she was just pretending to be in order to win his trust.

How presumptuous of her to think that they were friends or even on friendly terms.

As the last undulations of her cloak disappeared behind the wall he had an unpleasant epiphany, a realisation of something that was in front of him the whole time. Why did he not see it before? It was obvious why he disliked her so, no need to question her unpleasant behaviour and her dangerous nature, but now he suddenly saw why she made him so angry.

She, in many ways, was like him. A vicious predator in the guise of an almost boring teacher at a school. Admittedly, it was not an average school; but it was a school nonetheless.

He had never been able to truly forgive himself for the crimes he had committed, barely believing that Dumbledore had done so; so how could he let himself believe that Laenaya deserved to be forgiven? Some of her crimes were most likely far worse than his.

These emotions of distrust were only strengthened by the fact that she had been the reason why the Dark Lord had cast yet another unforgivable on him so many years ago.

That is why he pinned her to the wall on her first night, he wanted to hurt her, be rid of her, and possibly even go to the extremes and cast an unforgivable on her. Of course if he did that, he would be just as much of a Death Eater as he was in his youth and then he truly would never be able to forgive himself.

Besides, who was he trying to fool? He had become so engrossed in his role as a double agent, that he had forgotten his true self.

It had been crucial for him to live out both his roles, force himself to feel what he was expected to feel, but now that skill which had been his judge over life or death, was completely unnecessarily consuming him. He knew very well that he couldn't care less about the children in this school. Especially considering most of them were the spawn of those who had taunted and unfairly judged him in his youth. The people that disfigured him, and had catalysed the metamorphosis of his life; from naive little worm, to monster, to an empty shell of a man.

He knew very well that all he had done had been for Lily.

His entire life's mission and purpose had been to chase the ghost of a woman who was long dead. He filled his empty shell with the roles of Death Eater, then teacher, then both; but now they were consuming him, and he no longer knew who he was. He no longer knew what he was even doing at Hogwarts. He had never heard of a soldier who had lingered at the battlefield after the final battle…but there was just no where else for him to go.

In some twisted way, he had hoped that if he protected Lily's child and his friends, she would return from the dead if only to tell him that she forgave him and would be waiting for him on the other side.

This never happened however, and though he knew that his fantasy had been utterly absurd, he had not known what to do when it wasn't fulfilled. All he had hoped to see after completing his quest was Lily, and when she never came, he lost all patience for people.

Minerva was the most bearable of all, yet even she tested his patience most of the time.

He didn't want to see anyone, as no one was Lily. He didn't want to see Dumbledore, who looked at him with such nauseating pity, or Lupin who looked at him with indifference; and least of all did he want his already over-crowded surroundings to be occupied by an obnoxious, naive and manipulative succubus that was that wretched woman.

Yet there she was, just moments before, enthusiastically speaking to him as she would were she a young human excited about a new job; and there she was, offering to train Luna Lovegood under his supervision, with her red hair, green eyes and most likely pretend philanthropy, she reminded him of Lily. Well, physically at least, her personality had been completely different.

Though immortal, Laenaya was impatient where Lily was calm. She was brutally honest, though fair, where Lily had been so gentle that it had sometimes bordered on falseness, but her excessively forced kindness made her believe even her own lies. Laenaya was nothing like Lily, but she was Lily.

A much more dangerous and darkly twisted Lily. She was Lily, yet at the same time she was him. This thought disgusted him and he shut it out as quickly as it had come.

He would simply ignore her. Rather than give her the satisfaction of his attention, albeit negative attention, he would rather simply ignore her and forget about all of it.

He would simply supervise her training sessions with Luna and once in a while, see what she was up to, but never speak to her outside of lessons. If she did turn out to be harmless after all then he would lose nothing, but if she was planning on killing anyone, well he'd know it instantly and would be able to deal with her then. Despite not making any difference to him personally if any students died, he would play along with his role of teacher. It was all that was left to him, and if he had nothing to fill his shell, he would be just that: a shell.

He would not give his enemies the satisfaction of that humiliation.

If all else failed, he could write a letter to Lucius, revealing her identity, and Lucius could then use his power as a governor to fire her and have her sent far and away. While he was at it he could even let Lucius know about Lupin as well, seeing as those two mythical aberrations seemed to get along so well.

'_The demon and the dog.'_, The thought made him smile wickedly.

* * *

"Alright Luna, focus again" Laenaya created another dark orb and gently put it in Luna's hands. This had been their 4th lesson, and so far they had little to no success.

Towards the end of the 2nd session, Luna finally managed to get a hold of the orbs that Laenaya made, but it had cost her a lot of energy and Laenaya had had to decrease the size of her orbs substantially to keep the girl from fainting, as she almost had during the first lesson when Laenaya first tried to place an orb in her hands.

"The goal is to imagine the particles I talked to you about. In the same way that you know what Wrackspurts look like, even without your glasses, if you manage to become accustomed to the shadows, you can start working on controlling them." Though the theory sounded legitimate even to Snape, the slow progress and especially the toll it was taking on Luna was beginning to worry her.

"Professor, I feel faint again. May I rest a little bit?" The girl was plainly exhausted. Though she had tried her best, Laenaya was somewhat unjustly disappointed. Had she really expected too much of the girl, as Snape seemed to think?

"Of course." She said, trying to put on a reassuring tone.

The girl sat down on a sofa in the corner and Laenaya went to join Snape at the desk, which the room of requirement had conjured for him.

He had been reading a book and taking notes, but when she sat down he put everything away and looked at her wordlessly.

"I know what you're thinking," she said as he crossed his arms. "But I haven't given up on her. I must admit that I'm a bit at a loss at what to do now, but I know there's something about this girl."

Snape had managed to be more patient with Laenaya lately. His technique of ignoring her except when he was with her and Luna in their private sessions had proven to be a successful tactic. He had also come to notice that she had not tried to do anything with the girl. He knew that if it were Lupin supervising her, he would have gone sentimental after seeing how gentle she was with the Ravenclaw. Snape would have personally preferred a more distant method of teaching, but at least the woman had never tried to harm her; and for some reason he did not even suspect that her reluctance to attack the girl stemmed from his presence.

"Well Miss Darkstrom, in the wizarding world, not so much is known about umbrakinetics. However, as you once pointed out, it seems to be somewhat more common amongst other species - especially _your_ kind." Laenaya did not like the way he emphasised 'your' kind, but she chose to ignore it.

"I have been reading and," he said, and pulled the heavy book which he had been handling earlier back towards himself. "have come across some rather interesting information. It seems this was not so much a waste of time after all, speaking from a scholarly perspective."

Before he opened the book, Laenaya managed to read what was written on the cover. 'Illumination of the Crepuscule by Viscount de Morieve' She did not recognise the name, but by Snapes tone she assumed the author had been a Vampire.

"Though the author seems to be a bit of an eccentric, it contains some rather interesting information on umbrakinesis, and I found one particularly notable passage, though the first part is simply silly," he warned before reading it out loud.

"Darkness thrives on light. The shadow is a child of the darkness, but it spawns wherever there is light, and the brighter the light, the more intense the shadow. Darkness, being a manipulative and ambitious entity, adapts to its environment and feeds on its greatest enemy. This is why, even though light is theoretically faster than darkness, the darkness is omnipresent, constantly feeding on its surroundings, and especially its enemies; in the same way as vampires on humans.

The light however, is not such a versatile entity. It is strong in the sense that it is necessary for all beings, even vampires - in the form of moonlight - to survive on; and in the sense that it can penetrate most anything. The more intense the darkness, the more visible even the tiniest light will be.

The drawback of this strength however, is the amount of energy it requires. Since the darkness feeds on the energy that is around it, the umbrakinetic does not need to use an extensive amount of energy in order to benefit from his powers, but as light requires high amounts of energy to be produced, the lumokinetic must exert tremendous amounts of energy.

If the user knows of this natural advantage, he can use his umbrakinesis to feed on the power of lumokinetics and -" Snape paused and closed the book "I think that makes it quite clear. At this point it is merely a theory, but,"

"But it would explain why she's always so drained from our sessions!" Laenaya interrupted, to Snapes obvious disapproval. She suddenly realised what he had just done.

"Severus," she put her hand on the book and traced the lettering with her finger "you made the effort of looking for a book on the subject and…" she paused and looked up at his face "you're trying to help Luna." She couldn't hold back the smile.

Snape frowned "I do not like to waste my time Laenaya. Since it can never be detrimental to gather knowledge, especially in relation to topics we are not well educated in, and since you seem to be keeping your so-called nature well hidden, I have had the time to research on the subject."

"Thank you so much Severus, it is a highly plausible theory and might save Luna from a lot of tiresome trainings," all her animosity towards him vanished in that moment and she wanted to thank him somehow, especially as she had not failed to notice what he had just said in his last sentence. It was the first time that -

Her thoughts were interrupted by Luna. "Professor, I think I am ready to continue now."

"No, go rest Luna. We shall try a different approach next session."

* * *

Laenaya had cancelled the rest of the training sessions with Luna for that week, and gave her the weekend off as well. If Luna really did prove to be a Lumokinetic, she would need all the energy and strength she could find.

September had been unusually cold and gloomy and thus Laenaya had not been able to profit from the properties of the magical ceiling in the great hall. She wanted to experience a day of full sun, after finally having become accustomed to the faint rays that would now and then pass through the clouds above the enchanted ceiling.

The weekend came and was almost done and all Laenaya could do was stay in the castle and wish for the time to pass. It was becoming increasingly frustrating that she couldn't see the sun, especially because, even though she could not go out, she could feel that it was warmer in the castle now in the beginning of October than it had been all of September.

Her suspicion was unexpectedly confirmed when she overheard a group of students talking in the hallways; just as she was making her way to check on the enchanted ceiling.

"Finally, we get to have a quidditch practice where I won't be covered in mud…it's nice to see the bloody sun for once." It was a muscular 3rd year Hufflepuff. He was carrying his broom and club, obviously a beater.

"Well, I'm a bit nervous. Stephanie Johnson said she would come to watch me practice when the weather was better…I think she's coming today." The second boy was also a beater, and he was blushing in a very obvious manner.

"Ha! You stud!" Laughed the other one as they turned a corner.

Laenaya quickened her pace, if the sun was out today she would hurry to the great hall and make sure she could see as much of it as possible. When she arrived however, she was disappointed to find that there were still clouds above it. It seemed that, although the sun was shining, there were still some clouds left just above the enchanted ceiling.

She couldn't take it anymore, the only place where she could get what she had so longed for, for so many years, was the place where the object of her desire was, ironically, not in view.

Well, there were the windows.

It couldn't hurt just to look. If she could not look through the mirror, she would look through the window. She ran as fast as she could, making her way to a hallway that led to one of the towers of Hogwarts. She remembered having seen one of the biggest windows in all the castle one time when she had past it at night.

Sticking to the shadows as much as she could, she soon found the first of a long line of large suits of armours that led to her window of choice.

Still in the shadows, she stopped in the hallway. A warmth grew around her heart and she had to shield her eyes. The sun must have been right on that side of the castle as the star of life was particularly large and radiant here.

She opened her fingers and tried to open her eyes in order to peer through, slowly at first. Even though her eyes were still half closed, the sight was already overwhelming.

Her heart began to race with glee, how could she have been so content with missing out on this for so long?

The longing grew in her heart as she recalled the warmth. Hundreds of years ago, so long ago that she could no longer form the visuals of the memory properly in her mind, but she knew. The light that was spilling over the carpet right now, had spilled over the fields, rivers and through the trees in the forests of her childhood.

Warmth.

She stretched out her arm, so slowly that it seemed to take an eternity. Even slower still, she opened her eyes fully and began to stretch out her fingers. One touch couldn't possibly hurt. Her skin began to tingle, but she pressed on thinking that it was only the memory of the warmth giving her goosebumps.

Maybe it was all a myth after all, that vampires can't walk in the sun. She couldn't recall the last time she tried to set foot outside during the day, she wasn't even sure if she had ever tried, so how could she know for sure that it was true?

Just one touch.

Her hand and arm outstretched, she began moving towards the window, her heart ready to jump out of her throat.

A single tear managed to slide down her cheek as her hand reached the light. It bathed her from fingers to wrist in glorious yellow life and she could feel the warmth reaching her chest and then face and then stomach. She couldn't stop herself from moving now but why was it this hot? Had she made a mistake after all? She tried to recall her childhood but she couldn't remember it being this burning hot.

So hot.


End file.
